I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for holding or carrying a revolver speedloader and for permitting quick access to that revolver speedloader.
II. Description of the Prior Art
A revolver speedloader is a device for holding a plurality of cartridges in a manner which permits these cartridges to be quickly inserted into cartridge chambers of a revolver cylinder. Specifically, a speedloader typically comprises a body with a plurality of cartridge chambers aligned in a configuration which corresponds to the configuration of the cartridge chambers in the revolver cylinder. The speedloader has a release mechanism which permits all of the cartridges to be quickly released from the chambers in the speedloader body and inserted into the chambers of the revolver cylinder.
Holders or carriers exist in the prior art which provide some degree of capability to store such a speedloader in a readily accessible location, such as on a user's belt, in a manner which permits the speedloader to be simply and quickly removed from the carrier.
One such carrier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,733 issued to Kubik. The Kubik patent discloses a contoured enclosure-type carrier having a bracket means to receive a speedloader. The bracket means includes a bracket arm extending outwardly from a rear wall of the holder. The speedloader itself must be fitted with a spring member opposite an upper surface of the speedloader. When in position in the carrier, the speedloader is held fast by capturing the bracket arm between the spring member and the upper surface of the speedloader. To maintain the speedloader in this position, the bracket arm is required to have a small aperature and the spring member is required to have a downward extending teat which is received in the bracket arm aperture. Application of a slight downward pressure on the upper portion of the speedloader is reported to disengage the teat from the aperture permitting the speedloader to be removed from the carrier.
Such prior art carriers have the disadvantage of requiring a speedloader of specific construction, namely a speedloader with a spring member capable of engaging the carrier bracket arm. Standard speedloaders without such a spring member may not be employed.
The prior art also provides a simple pouch for holding a standard speedloader. To gain access of a speedloader from such a pouch, the pouch must be opened, and the user's fingers must be inserted into the pouch to grasp hold of the speedloader, a maneuver which, if not perfectly executed, may result in loss of precious time. In any event, access to a speedloader from a pouch, even if perfectly executed, is typically not as rapid as access from a carrier such as that disclosed in the Kubik patent.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a carrier which can be used with a standard revolver speedloader and yet permit extremely rapid access to that speedloader.
More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier for a standard speedloader in which the speedloader is properly positioned to be gripped, withdrawn from the holder, and then used to insert ammunition into a revolver in substantially one motion.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention.